ICM Partners Settles Interns Lawsuit

ICM Partners has settled its lawsuit filed by a pair of former interns. The deal came during mediation between the agency and reps for for ex-interns Kimberly Behzadi and Jason Rindenau that originally was expected to last through the holidays (Read here). So it’s an early gift especially for ICM, which since the case sought to reclassify as a class action would have encompassed hundreds of its former interns.

No terms of the deal, reached in NY, were announced. In October, the parties had agreed to mediation that began December 15.

Behzadi and Rindenau alleged that while they were at the ICM offices in NYC and LA in early 2012 and mid-2011, respectively, they did the jobs and duties of paid employees. They claim they did not receive instruction of an educational nature as designated by the intern program but instead prepared coverage reports, handled expense reports, answered phones and maintained calendars for agents. Those claims are similar to the ongoing case of the ex-Black Swan interns and their ongoing battle with Fox Searchlight, the suit that has spurred a slew of intern-vs-employer suits that include NBCUniversal over SNL and MSNBC interns (settled) and Wendy Williams’ talk show (pending).

Rachel Bien, Justin Swartz and Sally Abrahamson of the labor-issues firm Outten & Golden repped the interns. (Bien and the firm are involved in the Black Swan suit, and Swartz handled the NBCUniversal.) Elise Michelle Bloom and Steven Hurd of Proskauer Rose’s NYC office and Michelle Annese of the firm’s Newark office repped ICM Partners.